Rather than trying to hit a target within this triangle by experimenting with all three at once, my suggestion is that you first select an appropriate ISO and then let the camera choose the other two using its built-in light meter. After a little while you will gain confidence in\u00a0overriding one or both of the aperture and shutter speed settings as well\u00a0to gain even more control. By the way, this is how it was done in the olden days.<\/p>\n
Once you fix the ISO, then the exposure triangle becomes an exposure line.\u00a0By using this model it is much easier to demonstrate the way that aperture and shutter speed interact. Have a look at the illustration below. For any given ISO, the camera can correctly expose the image using any combination of aperture and shutter speed along this line. The\u00a0amount of light reaching the sensor is represented by the\u00a0area of the rectangle under the line, which you can see remains constant. Yes, it’s a bit\u00a0scientific, but once understood, it will become second nature to you.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.downing.photography\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/exposure-table1.png\")
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Again, by referring to this illustration,\u00a0the two highlighted combinations represent common settings\u00a0that you may choose\u00a0if you are shooting sport or general outdoor respectively.<\/p>\n
<\/h4>\nThe ISO range<\/h4>\n
OK, so\u00a0first the basics. The\u00a0ISO setting usually sits\u00a0in the range 100-1600. Some cameras push this further to 3200 and even higher.\u00a0The bigger the number the more sensitive the camera. The problem with choosing a large number all the time, is that it adds ‘grain’ to the image which is probably not what you want.<\/p>\n
So start with this guide and we’ll work from there.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
ISO range selector<\/h2>\n\n
| ISO<\/th> | Useful for<\/th> | Implications<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|
| 100-200<\/td> | Landscapes, bright outdoor, beach scenes<\/td> | Minimises grain artefacts.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| 400-800<\/td> | reduced light environments (indoors), events where things are moving more quickly (or perhaps you are)<\/td> | Useful for higher shutter speeds. Also naturally reduces depth of field when combined with 'wide open' aperture.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| 800-1600<\/td> | This is a not used often, but required for catching action in the dark. Astronomy, parties (with a flash) etc.<\/td> | There will be some amount of grain depending on the quality of the sensor.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| <\/td> | <\/td> | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nISO table showing typical settings and their uses.<\/span>\n\n <\/p>\n Depth of field?<\/h4>\nThis term describes how much of the background is in focus along with the subject. Before we go into details, let’s explore what the aperture looks like and how it is measured. Firstly the measurement is just a number which typically ranges from f\/3.5 up to f\/22 depending on the camera body and lens. The bigger the number, the smaller the hole. Simple. However remember that it is not a linear scale, so it is not true to say that f\/4.0 yelds twice as much light than\u00a0f\/8.0. Look at the illustrations below.<\/p>\n |
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.downing.photography\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/f-222-300x300.png\")
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